Life's Surprises
by This-is-my-toenail-collection
Summary: Draco finds out the unthinkable has taken place at Hogwarts. This stranger is not welcome here and Draco will have him removed as soon as he can owl his father.


"Can you believe the state of this school?"

Draco wasn't looking for Pansy but he would know that whine anywhere. He didn't know what she was talking about but Dumbledore was always 'improving' something so it was hardly a surprise.

"I know Pans, What next? A mathematics class?"

Blase's response piqued Draco's interest. He signaled Crabbe and Goyle to follow as he made his way towards the distant conversation. Turning a corner he found the Slytherins in question speaking in soft hissing voices and staring at the infirmary.

"What did the old man do now?" Draco's carefully uninterested tone drew out each word in the question. Pansy was practically spitting as she relayed her gossip.

"Dumbledore's gone mad for sure this time, letting a muggle on Hogwarts staff." Pansy was shaking in anger and Blase stared unblinking with an expression as if he'd swallowed a rock.

It took a moment for Draco to respond, wondering if he'd heard Pansy correctly. All disinterest was gone from his tone as he questioned unbelievingly. "Did you say a muggle? Pansy you can't be serious!"

"Look" Blase spoke tightly. He pointed into the infirmary. "See that one talking to Madam Pomfery? That's the filth". He spat the last word like one spits a loogie in the face of an inferior.

Draco's gaze followed Blase's to a slight man with obviously muggle clothes who appeared to be losing an argument with a frustrated Madam Pomfery. He wore a strange teal outfit that looked more like pajamas than any proper clothes, his sandy hair was pulled back into a short ponytail and he had strange objects poking out of various pockets.

At first it was disbelief, like watching a bird fly into a window there was just no way he was actually seeing this happen. He stared at the man and it occurred to him...he'd never seen a muggle before. He assumed they'd be ugly or dirty but this guy was so painfully _average. _Then it was anger. This wasn't just unacceptable it was insulting. It was an insult to the school, the founders, wizarding society as a whole, and especially the good pure wizards and witches who had a right to live their lives without coming into contact with...with..._that! _

Draco's pulse pounded in his ears and he didn't hear his lackys dumb questions. He was busy mentally writing a letter to his father about Dumbledore's latest travisty against all things decent.

He started stomping away to put his thoughts on paper and got a good distance before the riff raff caught up to him. Pansy prattled her gossip in his ear and Blase stayed silent but insisted on walking in front of Draco. Something he couldn't stand.

His anger grew as he tried repeatedly to walk faster than Blase and simultaneously tune out Pansy's 'Draco? Draco? Are you listening?'. Eventually he had enough.

"Crabbe! Make these two leave" Vincent's response was instantaneous. He grabbed both of Draco's 'friends' by the arm and started dragging them back to the infirmary. Goyle stayed a few feet behind him as he continued towards his common room. At least his guards knew there place, the other two were so annoying Draco wondered why they wouldn't just leave him alone.

0

Letter written, owl sent, anger quelled. Draco was feeling very industrious as he made his way to the Great Hall for supper. He lamented almost letting his anger get the better of him earlier, however annoying his allies were they are still more useful to him as friends. He had been chastised since he was young about his temper and how easily it could cause trouble for his reputation. As well as the reputation of the Malfoy name.

He didn't often travel the halls without at least one guard, but Goyle left for supper earlier due to his insatiable appetite. Because of this, Draco was alone when he ran into the newest offending presence to the school.

Physically, ran into him. Draco must have been so caught in his inner thoughts that he didn't notice there was someone else in the hallway. He knocked the board and papers clean out if the man's hands. Luckily the clipboard held the papers together but the blue tubes that the man was holding clattered to the floor and scattered.

"Oh sorry, you alright young man?" The man's voice was softer than you'd expect and he immediately reached out to make sure Draco was ok. Draco's arm was throbbing from the collision but he quickly stepped back. He'd never touched a muggle and he definitely didn't want to do it again.

"Watch where you're going muggle" Draco spat, just seeing the offending man was enough to stoke the flames of his rage again.

The man blinked, then he shrugged and knelt down to gather his clipboard and tubes. "Alright tough guy, enjoy dinner."

Draco considered moving along but he was too angry to let this go, and he wasn't used to being dismissed.

"You think you're real special right? Getting to walk among wizards? You won't be here long mark my words, not after you just attacked me."

"Attacked?" The man got back to his feet with his things back in order "Friend you ran into me."

"I'm not your friend!" Draco lashed out earning his a disinterested shrug from the stranger. "And no one's going to believe that after Madam Pomfrey sees how injured my arm is. I'll write my father about it and you'll be sacked within a day!" Draco held up his arm to accentuate his point. It's now that the man should get flustered or angry at the accusation. Oh how Draco loved getting under people's skin.

"If you're injured I'm the one who will look at it, Madam Pomfery only takes care of magical injuries now."

Draco hadn't expected that.

"Excuse me?" He wanted to say more but those were all the words he could find through his indignation.

"Ok…" the man sighed "as of this year school medical professionals credentials must be evaluated and approved by the department of health, including private schools. Seeing as your medi-witches qualifications cannot be evaluated by the government...I'm here,"

Draco was reeling now. Muggles trying to regulate Hogwarts? How could ANYONE have allowed for this?!

"You...but…" he was actually speechless. This wasn't happening.

"I'm Rafael Wilson RN. I'm a nurse." He took one of the blue tubes out of his breast pocket where he'd stored them and offered it to Draco. "Here have a pen".

Draco took the 'pen' without really thinking about it and watched numbly as Nurse Wilson walked away.

He stared down at the strange object in his hand, not thinking about anything as he examined the smooth plastic exterior and light blue color. After a moment of dissociation he realized there were words on the pen.

'Lorn & Islands Hospital

44 1631 567500'

0

Draco couldn't eat.

He knew it wasn't the end of the world but it sure felt like it. There was a muggle in charge of their healthcare. How long until the first casualty? How long until the school is riddled with disease and death from this carelessness?

Draco shivered as he thought of it. He'd have to be extra careful not to get hurt. But he'd already told Nurse Wilson his arm was hurt. Was he gonna cut it off? Draco had been told muggles do that, and they call themselves professionals.

His father would _have _to do something about this. There was no way he could stay safely in a school that uses archaic voodoo instead of real healing.

Pansy was pestering Draco for more information on the guy but he'd already told all he knew. The Slytherins were passing the pen around in a mixture of disgust and foreboding. Draco was just staring at his knuckles. He still couldn't believe he _touched _a _muggle._ He'd never touched a muggle.

God does pansy ever shut up?!

She was hanging off his arm like a sloth and asking him questions he didn't want to answer. Not because he didn't know the answer just because the questions were stupid.

"Did it speak English? I bet it smelled bad didn't it Draco. Oh and it ran into you? Did it growl like a dog or snort like a pig? Oh you poor thing-" and on she went. Draco began to feel frustration rising in his chest. He had to bite his tongue to keep himself from insulting Parkinson.

Supper didn't end quick enough in draco's opinion. All he wanted to do was return to his common room and continue the novel he was reading. He was on his way out of the Great Hall when he was stopped by a prefect.

"Malfoy you've been summoned to the new nurses office."

Draco's stomach dropped into his shoes at the words. "Why?" He wished he didn't sound so frantic.

"Something about an arm injury" she didn't seem very engaged.

"What if I don't go?" His snark came in clutch as he wrestled with his panic.

The prefect just raised an eyebrow at him. "Then I'll have to get Professor Snape."

Draco knew then he was fucked. Severus probably wasn't happy with the new Nurse either but he never questioned Dumbledore. It was a point of contention between them.

It was a long walk following the directions the prefect gave him, and it led Draco to a part of the castle that looked completely different than it used to. Did this man remodel?

He came to a light wood door and stopped, not bringing himself to knock. He wasn't scared. Of course he wasn't scared, wizards don't fear muggles anymore. He was just frustrated by how unnecessary this was. Yes, surely that was it.

He lifted a deliberately not-shaky hand to knock but the door opened before he got the chance.

The nurses brown eyes widened and he blinked in surprise. "Oh, Mr Malfoy-"

"Don't act so shocked you wanted me here" God bless his snark.

Nurse Wilson held Draco's gaze for a moment, then deadpanned. "I asked you to come to my office. Over there" he gestured down the hall. "This is...my apartment".

"Oh," Draco wanted a snappy comeback but none came. So he just left it there.

"Come in" the nurse walked back into the room, leaving the door open. Presumably for Draco to follow. Cautiously Draco peaked his head in the room. He thought he knew what a muggle dwelling would look like to the point where he was almost disappointed by the reality.

Just a flat.

The sitting room was small, in fact the whole flat was small. Normal furniture, normal decor, it smelled a bit different but that's it. The only difference was the kitchen.

Draco couldn't quite see what the strange boxy furniture was but it didn't seem threatening. Despite the rooms docile appearance he wasn't excited to venture further inside.

Nurse Wilson stood nonchalantly between the sitting room and the kitchen, his hair was down now and hung down to his chin. His teal uniform had been traded for a loose brown jumper and a pair of blue pants of a material Draco didn't recognize. Dressed casually the small man looked as non- threatening as the room.

Taking a deep breath he reminded himself of how _not scared_ he was and crossed the threshold.

"Have a seat" Nurse Wilson gestured to the couch and disappeared into the kitchen.

Draco sat stiffly on the modern sofa. His gaze fell on the box across the room. It wasn't visible from the doorway so he'd completely missed it. It was large and gray with a glassy front. Not a particularly interesting box but it wasn't wizard that's for sure.

"Never seen a TV?"

Draco jumped, he hadn't heard the nurse re-enter the room. "Awfully dull thing" he tried to brush it off but he knew he'd been caught.

"Hm" the nurse set the papers he'd retrieved down on the coffee table. "I suppose it is when it's not turned on." He mused out loud.

Draco's curiosity was piqued but he dared not ask for fear of prolonging his stay. Speaking of which, he wanted to move this along. "You wanted to see me weirdo?" He changed the subject.

"It's nurse or sir Mr. Malfoy" his tone was one of infinite patience, much to Draco's irritation. "And yes, your arm please" he held out his hand as he spoke.

Draco eyed the man's hand as he would a venomous spider. "It's really not necessary...sir".

"Well you made such a big deal about it in the hallway, what kind of a medical professional would I be if I didn't at least look at it?" The smug look on his face made Draco's blood simmer. But he knew he didn't really have a choice since the man was technically faculty. Reluctantly Draco rolled up the sleeve of his robe and let the nurse see his arm.

Draco hadn't seen the injury himself yet and his eyes widened slightly at the sight. A giant ugly bruise covered the majority of his upper arm, it was a shade of dark greyish-blue that stood out incredibly against Draco's light complexion. It was slightly swollen and it was scary to look at. That definitely explained the persistent ache it caused all day.

"Just a bruise" he said lightly, no accusation in his tone for Draco's earlier exaggerating. The man's casual tone quieted Draco's rising panic at the sight of his injury. Nurse Wilson used another one of his pens to write something down on his clipboard before setting it down with a clatter. Draco stared at the clipboard and noticed the hinge holding the paper to the board was broken.

His attention was turned back to Nurse Wilson as he stood up and went back to his kitchen. Draco sat for a moment confused about what to do. Should he leave?

Cautiously he rose from the couch and followed Mr. Wilson.

The kitchen was weirder up close, tins of things neatly stacked on shelves and large boxy devices lining the walls. The nurse pulled on a handle on the tallest box and it opened. Visible clouds of cold air poured from the opening.

Draco thought through the things that might be inside and started to panic. What did muggles do for bruises? What could possibly have to be kept cold? His mind rushed through every story and rumor he'd ever been told about muggles. He wasn't scared, even though his pulse was rising and his hands were sweating and his chest was tight he was NOT afraid of a muggle.

He was just focusing on the wrong things. Like how no one really knew where he was except one prefect girl who didn't seem to care. Or how uncomfortably aware he was now of the fact that he was alone in a room with an adult he didn't know and no defence.

His hyperventilating meant nothing, he was not afraid.

"Are you gonna cut off my arm?"

Nurse Wilson pulled a small blue bar out of the box. "What? No." He dismissed Draco's question.

He rapped the bar in a hand towel and handed it to Draco. "Press that to the bruise and keep it elevated."

Taking the bar Draco tried to ignore how the not-fear had turned immediately to embarrassment when he realized how stupid his question sounded.

The cold bar felt good on his sore arm, but Draco's mind was really on the tall cold box, as well as the other devices in the kitchen. What made the box cold if not magic? What happened when you turned the 'TV' on?

Draco mentally berated himself for being curious about inferior muggle frivolousness, but it did nothing to stop his mind from spinning with exposure. He had to leave or he might actually try to _engage_ with this situation.

"So can I go?" He asked hopefully

"No, you hold that for about 20 minutes and then I want my ice pack back. Then you do the same thing tomorrow until the bruise goes away."

Oh damn, Draco was still stuck there.

He took a seat in a kitchen chair and resolved to wait out the twenty minutes in silence. The nurse however did not share this plan.

"You...um, you can sit in the living room if you want."

Draco was tempted to try turning on that TV box. But in the living room, the kitchen would be at his back and he just wasn't comfortable with that. Muggles are too unpredictable.

"No I'm alright here" he answered dryly.

"Oh ok well I'm gonna make croissants so…"

Draco quirked an eyebrow. "You cook?"

The Nurse opened the tall box again, this time the lower door. A light turned on as it opened displaying a variety of perishable foods. "Ah I wouldn't call it full-blown cooking, it's just Pillsbury."

Draco cursed himself for even asking, he was pointedly trying not to have a conversation with this low blood. But all the answers he got just seemed to raise more questions. He would not let himself fall into this hole.

"Pillsbury isn't real? Also what's Pillsbury?" Curse his traitorous mouth!

Nurse Wilson chuckled softly, "well it's mostly pre-made. _You_ cook?"

Draco almost laughed, but he stopped himself in time. "Of course not that's what house elves are for."

"Hmm" the nurse made a thoughtful noise, out of the tall box he produced a metallic tube that seemed to have pictures on it's label. "You couldn't boil water without burning it huh kid."

"hey! I'm not…as if that even matters."

Draco was unexpectedly insulted, it was true but no one had confronted him with it before.

"It's ok, I suck too." The was a smile in his words as he tore the label off the tube, revealing the cardboard underneath. Grabbing a spoon from a drawer he pressed it against one of the grooves on the cardboard and it blew open with an audible pop.

Draco blinked in surprise at the unexpectedly opening method. Then he registered the man's words

"Hey I don't suck!" he defended. "I could be good I've just never tried.

The nurse stopped and set the opened tube down. He stared at it for a moment with an unreadable expression in his face before looking up at Draco.

"You know it's silly but...I think I need help with this." He gestured to the container.

Draco stared at it for a moment. Could he not get the dough out of the cardboard? Draco stood and approached the table where Wilson was working. Draco took the open container and carefully pulled the cylinder of dough out of the twisted cardboard.

"Hah! I did it. You useless muggles can't even handle your own crappy packaging." His insulting earned him a chuckle as the nurse walked away.

Victorious he tossed the cardboard aside and examined the slimy dough cylinder. It was very squishy and he kind of wanted to crush it in his fist, but he resisted the urge.

Wilson returned setting a baking pan on the table and Draco set the dough down. There was still something bugging him.

"You said it was pre-made...why isn't it croissants?"

"Well the great thing about us useless muggles, we like to put instructions on things." Wilson handed Draco the label he'd ripped off before.

Draco took it from him and examined it finding it did, in fact, have instructions. Carefully Draco read through all the steps as he'd been taught in potions. Then he dropped the label in frustration.

"I don't understand half of what this means, what's an oven?!"

"Over there" Wilson pointed to one of the boxes Draco had been so curious about. "That's the oven, it bakes things"

Draco stared blankly at the appliance, he hadn't been expecting an answer since he thought the question was stupid. But it was a welcome change to have things answered upfront.

"Ok well it says to 'heat' oven to 375 or 350 for dark or non-stick pans."

"This pan is non-stick and you use the knob on the front of the oven to change the temperature."

Draco nodded once, suddenly in the zone. He crouched in front of the oven to decipher the knobs. The one in the middle was labeled with numbers including the 350 he was looking for. He wasn't used to Farenheit but it didn't really matter if muggles just label everything. Carefully he turned the knob to 350.

"Ok…'unroll dough, separate into 8 triangles'". Draco rolled the dough cylinder out on the pan, careful not to tear it. He was relieved to find the dough was scored where he had to cut it. Remembering where Wilson had gotten the spoon from, he retrieved a butter knife and set to work separating the triangles.

It was calming, figuring out the instructions was much simpler than he'd made it out to be and he'd almost forgotten the muggle was there from how quiet he was being. He had a little trouble figuring out how to roll the triangles but Wilson demonstrated with one and then it was easy.

With all the rolls set equidistant on the pan Draco opened the oven to put them inside. He was surprised at how warm it was and he enjoyed the heat before placing the pan carefully on the center rack.

"Almost done Draco, to set the oven timer it's just another knob."

Draco reviewed the instructions and frowned.

"It says bake '9 to 12 minutes'. Which is it?"

"Well it depends on the pan and the oven and how done you want them to be, but croissants I'd say anywhere between the two is fine." Wilson explained readily.

Draco was so used to exact potions times that the idea of just picking one was baffling. Muggles were a weird breed.

"_Any _time between 9 and 12?" He clarified

Wilson nods.

Draco deliberates in his head for a moment.

"How about 11 minutes and...48 seconds." He decided finally.

Wilson grinned so wide his eyes crinkled. "Sure friend, if you can find it on the timer go for it."

Draco couldn't find it on the timer so he estimated between the 11 and 12.

"Alright." Draco sat back down on his chair to wait.

"Well, you proved me wrong" Wilson crouched down and eventually sat on the floor with his back against the counter.

"What?" Draco didn't know what he was talking about and he was trying to make sense of his bizarre seating choice.

"You don't suck, I think you did really well." Wilson clarified.

"Oh." Draco's whole face heated up as he remembered just what he was doing before this. So much for not asking questions, he actually got sucked into cooking with this guy. He channeled his frustration into his next comment "You're pretty useless if you can't even do that, that was easy." The snideness in his voice reminded him a little of who he was.

Wilson didn't answer right away. Then calmly he replied "you're an angry kid"

Draco was getting real tired of this man just affronting him with these statements. There was no nuance or subtlety, just an accusation. But he was so irritatingly calm and kind that it never felt accusatory. Draco was sure if a hurricane struck this man would walk cooly through the worst of it's winds and reach the eye just to tell it "you're loud."

"Oh yeah I'm angry, not like you perfectly calm all the time." Draco's anger started to boil over. He wanted to cut this man with words but he didn't have anything on him. Other than him being a muggle but he felt he'd worn that one out by now.

"You want to insult me, that's normal. But it won't solve anything and you'll probably regret it later." Oh that's it. He was just asking to get hexed.

"You can't psychoanalyze me you joke, you just think you're smart but you're just a stupid drooling muggle." Draco knew he sounded childish but he really didn't care. He felt like he was on fire.

Wilson cringed slightly. "I didn't psychoanalyze anything Mr. Malfoy, you've been insulting me since you met me."

And just like that Draco ran out of steam. He sounded stupid and he was projecting things on to the nurse.

"How do you do that?" Draco asked softly.

"Do what?"

"Make me…" Draco tried to word it like Wilson would " ...stop and think."

Wilson gave a sincere shrug and Draco almost laughed.

"Then tell me how you don't get mad."

Wilson seemed to take this question more seriously. He spoke "in my experience, anger comes from perceived lack of fairness. When we feel something is unfair we get mad."

Draco nodded.

"Tell me Malfoy, what do you think is so unfair?" Draco thought for a moment. About his friends, about the school, about Nurse Wilson.

"Headmaster Dumbledore springs change on us and just expects us to deal with it. Everyone else seems to think his spontaneity is endearing but what about the rest of us?"

"Mhm"

"And my friends, they always want my attention and don't ever care that I want to be left alone. Why don't they get that I hate them?"

"Wow"

Draco looked back at Wilson. "What?"

"Well" he confessed "it seems like your friends do know you hate them, and they're trying to be friends much more than you are."

"Exactly! They just need to go away."

"Then tell them to go away if you want them gone so bad."

Draco didn't have an answer for that. He wanted them gone but at the same time he can't imagine telling them that. He can't really picture going through his day without them. "I dunno…"

"You do want them gone though?" Wilson pressed.

"...no, I just wish they knew when to leave me alone. I wish they got me."

"Well how are they supposed to 'get' you if you won't talk to them or pay attention to them?" Wilson's tone was inquisitive but not condescending.

Draco hated being high-roaded but Nurse Wilson had a point.

He continued "at least tell them when they should leave you alone instead of expecting them to know."

Reluctantly, Draco nodded.

"As for your headmaster, I was one of those spontaneous things...wasn't I?" He'd asked a question but his tone didn't sound like it was a question.

"Yes"

"Well I don't think you can really do anything about that one. I don't think your headmaster can either. It was decided by parliament not him."

Draco glared at the ground "so you're saying sometimes nothing is fair?"

"What I'm saying is you can't solve everything with an owl to your father."

The oven timer dinged and Draco's head shot up to glare at the nurse. "How did you know about that?" What if this man had been tampering with his mail?

Wilson started to stand and answered "you threatened me with it this morning."

And there it was again, Draco's anger was extinguished by a bucket of common sense and embarrassment. Merlin he wished he had that power.

Draco beat Wilson to the oven and grabbed the oven mitts he pointed out.

"Draco you will have to accept unfair circumstances in your life, and when things are unfair you have a right to be angry, but you have to remember a few simple things."

Draco's hands were putting the croissants on a plate but his attention was completely on Nurse Wilson.

"One, don't react immediately. That's how you say things you regret and risk sounding childish or rude. Two, remember what's fair, sometimes if you can assess what's causing your anger you can realize a better reaction. Three, don't bottle it, let it out when you're alone. Sometimes it helps to find a nice distraction until you can be by yourself."

"Like baking?" Draco held the plate of freshly made croissant rolls and tried not to look too proud of himself.

"Yes, like baking" Wilson smiled. "Well I think that's 20 minutes." He said with a sigh.

Draco looked at the clock and realized he'd been here for much longer than 20 minutes. It was past curfew.

"I can write you a pass if you need it." Wilson offered but Draco just shook his head.

"No, if anyone asks, I'll just say I got held up by a stupid muggle." Wilson gave Draco a calculated look and said after a long moment.

"You should take those croissants with you, you made them after all."

Draco looked down at the plate slightly confused. "I'll never be able to eat these by myself."

Wilson just shrugged "I guess that's what your friends are for."

0

Draco arrived back at the Slytherin common room without incident and was immediately welcomed by a barrage of questions. None of which he answered.

Before Pansy could start her interrogation Draco shoved the plate of croissants toward her.

"Croissant?"

Pansy was stunned for a moment. "Wha-? Draco what happened at-"

"Made them myself"

"You...you did?" Pansy's questions finally faltered. "Ok well...maybe just one."

Draco didn't get angry when Pansy chattered at him, and he didn't make a fuss when he lost to Blase at chess. Something about spending time with nurse Wilson had calmed him, even if it was just for the night.

0

Rafael watched Malfoy leave and closed the door behind him. He hadn't planned to be giving life advice today but life is full of surprises like that.

He sat on his couch and reviewed the checkups he had scheduled for tomorrow. One stood out as someone the Headmaster had told to be careful with. A name scrawled across his chart almost as an afterthought.

Harry Potter.

As far as he knew Mr. Potter was somewhat of a celebrity. Rafael remembered the day his older sister had come home in tears over the miracle of the boy who defeated 'you-know-who'. But despite persistent asking he had never actually known 'who'.

He was curious to meet this boy and he was sure tomorrow would be an interesting day indeed.


End file.
